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Parenting

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Original poster

how to cope with constantly asking for food

14 replies

pud1 · 06/08/2013 14:32

My dd aged 5 constantly keeps asking for food. It is defiantly a boredom/attention thing. For example, She has just left her dinner and 3 mins later started whinging she is hungry. I have sat her back down and told her to eat what she has been given for dinner. I am trying to explain the value of food and why it should not be wasted but it is falling on deaf ears. At the risk of turning into my mother would showing her some footage of starving children be too harsh. I am running out of ideas

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fluffyanimal · 06/08/2013 14:39

You don't need to show her footage of starving children, which could make her feel guilty and set off unhealthy subconscious ideas about food. Either just keep saying no; or offer fruit, yogurt, cereal bars, nuts etc. I try not to make an issue if a meal is not eaten well, if they end up grazing I can live with that so long as it's healthy stuff, not biscuits or crisps etc.

Also is she drinking enough? Children can mistake thirst for hunger. Give her a glass of water or milk and see if she is still hungry later.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 06/08/2013 22:43

Agre, just offer the uneaten meal again or make sure she has a good drink and offer her a raw carrot. Once read somewhere probably MN that if you are hungry and someone offers you an apple you will gladly eat it. Must say I use that one on my DC sometimes.

Its been a bit of a battle with my 6yo but she does know at last that if she refuses her meal, there ain't nothing else coming her way...

Sirzy · 06/08/2013 22:45

Tell her "your dinner is on the table, if your hungry eat it but there is nothing else" then don't mention it, ignore any pleas of hunger.

I second making sure she is drinking enough to

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HeatherSprouse · 06/08/2013 22:50

She Probably just wants sweets,Chocolate or something like that I know that is the issue with my kids or it might be she is just thirsty

NachoAddict · 06/08/2013 22:57

I have this all day long and it drives me insane. Usually its because they have seen something in the fridge/cupboard that they fancy. I usually offer fruit if they tell me they are hungry between meals.

I will try offering more drinks as they don't drink enough so they could be thirsty. I will keep an eye on that.

steppemum · 06/08/2013 23:16

make sure she is eating some complex carbs and some protein. My niece eats fruit and veg all day long and is hungry all day long. She needs carbs and protein to stay full. If she is eating that then say, you can have x and nothing else (x can be uneaten lunch or apple or plain cracker or whatever suits you)

specialsubject · 07/08/2013 11:26

...and remember that commercial cereal bars are only slightly less sugary than chocolate!

give her those good carbs.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 07/08/2013 14:17

Nacho there is one way to stop them asking for nice things they've seen in the cupboard, stop buying them...

NachoAddict · 07/08/2013 22:14

Haha, my brain knows that but I can't help myself.

I think its over compensating for a childhood where we were lucky to get a meal never mind snacks, I have to have things in that I fancy now. Even of ifdon't eat them, just knowing they are there is enough.

I can usually fob the kids off with fruit or an icepop though lol.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 07/08/2013 22:19

Oh Nacho that must have been so tough.

NachoAddict · 08/08/2013 15:48

It could have been worse, having a rubbish childhood just showed clearly how not to raise my kids

JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/08/2013 21:38

Must have been shit for you but so glad you have changed things for your family. When I was at middle school they brought around extras that were left over. I. A,ways put my hand up and had some but gave them to my friend as I knew that the free school meal would probably be the only food he are that day. If he was lucky his mum and dad would bring home some pop and crisps from the pub.

NachoAddict · 09/08/2013 08:56

There are lots of shit parents out there, I just don't understand it. For us it wasn't always bad but my mum died when we were young and my stepdad turned to alcohol to cope, it was downhill from there.

It's a shame social services can't do more sometimes.

Eletheomel · 09/08/2013 13:22

DS does this when he's tired (he's 3.5) but for him I think its more of a boundary thing and when he says hungry we know what he really means is a treat (chocolate etc).

So, when we're having tea and he's saying he's full and doesn't want anymore, we a) make him sit at the table until we've finished eating and b) tell him if he's full and can't eat anymore dinner then he obviously isn't hungry so he will get nothing else to eat until breakfast tommorow.

We usually give him a couple of percy pigs after tea, so the fear of missing out on his percies is usually enough for him to stay at the table. He usually throws a big strop with some tears, but then proceeds to clear his plate (or at least make a good fist of it).

There have been ocassions when we've given him cold macaroni (after he'd left the table 30 minutes earlier but then said he was hungry - he ate it though :-)

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